Lesson at a GlanceChapter 13, Lesson 1: The Decline of Church Authority (pp. 338-341)

The Big IdeaFramework Concept: Conflict As a result of political change and corrupt practices among some of the clergy of the time, people began to question the Catholic church's authority.

Write the following statements on the board:

Renaissance ideals emphasize the value of the individual.

Monarchs grow increasingly powerful.

Some church leaders become increasingly wealthy and corrupt.

Ask students to read these statements aloud. What predictions can they make about the period of history described by these statements? Write responses on the board. Help students revise the accuracy of their predictions as they read the lesson.

Lesson Outline
Use the Lesson Outline to preview the content of the lesson. You may wish to print it for your students as a guide during reading.

Check for Understanding

Have students create a timeline showing the conflict
over church authority starting with the cardinals' election of a French pope in 1305 and ending with the reunification of the church after the Great Schism in 1417. Ask them to include a paragraph explaining the significance of the events they have documented.

Divide the class into several small groups. Ask each group
to prepare a short skit in which reformers like John Wycliff
challenge church authorities.